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Size
doesn’t matter in classic rally
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NFSGT
Howden Farrar and his wife Ruth with their classic 1958
BMW Isetta Limousine.
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MENTION
to someone that you drive a Limousine and it’s bound to conjure
images of a big, luxurious automobile.
But Flight Sergeant Howden Farrar, of No. 33 Squadron, and his wife
Ruth’s 1958 BMW 600 Isetta Limousine is anything but large
and luxurious.
What it lacks in size, though, it more than makes up for in character
and style.
The little red BMW is one of only 300 left in the world and the
Farrars believe it’s the only one on the road in Australia.
About 34,000 were originally produced between 1957-1959 and most
of the roadworthy models still around today can be found in Europe
and the United States.
For micro car enthusiasts, the two-door, 600cc Isetta is one of
the automobiles to own.
The Farrars tracked it down in Minnesota and brought it to Australia
late last year.
They will have owned the car for one year on December 31.
To the non-enthusiast, the car looks more like a jellybean than
a Limousine and hardly seems like a car you’d choose for a
long journey.
But that won’t stop FSGT Farrar and his wife from entering
the car in this year’s Alpine Classic Rally, being held in
the Blue Mountains and the state’s mid-west on October 19-20.
Starting and finishing at Lithgow, the 800km Alpine Classic will
take participants through some of the most scenic areas of New South
Wales.
The event is open to “classic” pre-1976 cars with categories
for masters, apprentices and a touring category.
More than 60 cars are expected to compete in this year’s event.
The rally tests participants’ navigational skills as they travel
a route determined by pre-race instructions which are handed out
five minutes before the cars depart.
Competitors will be given a set time to complete each stage and
penalties are applied for early and late arrivals at checkpoints.
Entrants must answer questions posted at specific “sight boards”
to prove they have taken the correct route.
Two motorkhanas, in which cars must navigate their way around a
pattern of witches’ hats in the fastest possible time, are
also included in the event.
But fastest times will matter little to the Farrars.
They’re simply after an enjoyable two days spent behind the
wheel of one of Australia’s most unusual cars.
“This is our first rally and we thought it would be fun,”
Ruth said.
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